Ribbon-movement for typewriters



J. A. HAGERSTHOM. RIBBON MOVEMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2|.19 I9.

Patented NOV. 22, 1921,

4 SHEETS-SHEET i.

l/VI/E/VTOR WITNESSES 'ATTORIIIEYS J. A. H'AGERSTHOM. v RIBBON MDVEMENT FOR TYPEWRITEFRS. APPLICATION FILED JAN-2, 1919.

Paten'befi Nov 22 19211.,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fig. 5;

. 4) WITNESSES 4g m A [W03 3. A. HAGERSTROM.

RIBBON MOVEMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS,

APPLICATION FILED JAN-2.1919.

Patented Nov 22, 1921,,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES A NOR/1E rs J. A. HAGERSTHOM. RIBBON MOVEMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-2,1919. 1 3917 51 3 Pa'ten'firad Nova 22, 1923.,

, 0 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- i I i a )TIFTIFH H JOHN A HAG t;

"WRITER CGMPANY, 0F SGRAINTON, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RIBBQN-MGVEMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS.

Lspecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

Application filled. January 2, 1919. Serial .r't'o. 269,298.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that it Jorrn A. HAonn- STROM, a citizen of the llnited States, residing at Cranford, county of Union, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ribbon-viovements for Typewriters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of typewriting machines in which an ink ribbon is moved into position between a type bar and the platen at each actuation of said type bar and then returned therefrom to a normal position of rest to render the type writing visible to the operator. The primary object of this invention is to provide improved ribbon movement means of simple construction, which will be economical to make, efiicie t in action and durable in service. On of the objects of the present invention is to provide improved means for varying the throw of the ribbon movement from any one of several case-shifted positions. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved ribbon vibrator which will automatically adjust itself to varying thicknesses of paper on the platen for avoiding ink smears on the paper or platen during the movement of the vibrator. Further objects of invention will appear in the specification and be pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which show the preferred embodiment of my invention and in which,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the ribbon movement mechanism as a whole, with the line finder removed for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with the arts in lower case positions;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1, parts being shown in side elevation;

Fig. 4c is a similar section showing the parts in positions corresponding to the shifted position of the vibrator;

Fig. 5 is a similar section showing the ribbon vibrator adjustment means in position to adapt the typewriter to operate as a stenciling machine;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66, Fig. 1, parts being shown in elevation;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the ribbon movement mechanism with the parts in upper case position;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the ribbon vibrator and line finder, parts being broken away and parts shown in section;

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the same Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10-10. F i 8; i

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the line finder.

In the embodiment of my invention shown on the drawings, a bracket 1 is secured to the main frame of the typewriter and comprises forwardly presented arms 2 united by a tie rod 3. A movable frame comprising a front plate F1 and rearwardly extending arms 5 is connected to the forward ends of bracket arms 2 by means of links 6 which have their opposite ends respectively pivotally connected at 7 and 8 to said bracket arms and movable frame. A cross bar 9 rigidly connects the links 6 to move in unison. In order to constrain the movable ment in a vertical direction, said frame car- ,ries a rearwardly presented lug 10 with which the bent forward end of a wire link 11 has a pivotal connection. Said link 11 is provided with an elongated shank 12 which is swingingly mounted in the bracket arms 2. The front plate 4 of the movable frame has a rectangular recess or opening 13 within which is disposed a post or guide 14. Projecting upwardly from said front plate are a pair of spaced guides or arms 15. Reciprocably mounted on the guides 14 and 15, is a ribbon vibrator comprising a slide 16 with upwardly branched arms 17. Each of the arms 17 carries a ribbon guide 18 through which is threaded a ribbon 19. Projecting rearwardly from the slide 16 is a grooved arm 19' within which slides the ball-like end 20 of an adjustable arm 21. Said arm 21 is carried by a hub or disk 22 which journals on a stud 28 which projects upwardly from a bar or plate 2 having integral arms which are swung by pivots 26 from the rear ends of the arms 5 carried by said movable frame. The plate 24 and arms 25 therefore constitute a rocker or cradle for the adjustable arm 21 which imparts a greater or lesser throw to the ribbon vibrator depending upon the location of ball end 20 lengthwise of the slotted arm 19. By referring more specifically to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, it will be seen that the ball end 20 may be adjusted from a point approximately under the pivots 26 in which position they impart no appreciable throw to the ribbon vibrator to a point adjacent to the ribbon vibrator which imparts a maximum throw to said vibrator at each universal movement. In order to suppoit the movable frame in a vertical direction as well as to provide means for transmitting case shift movements thereto, a bent lever comprising an approximately vertical arm 27 and a substantially horizontal arm 28, is pivoted at 29 in'a lug 30 carried by the carriage rail 31. ,Said carriage rail 31 is mounted on laterally spaced lever arms 32 which are carried by an oscillatory rod 33 provided with trunnions 34 (only one of which is shown in Fig.

' 1.) Case shift movements are imparted to the carriage supporting rail 31 by means of a case shift actuated lever 33 which oscillates the lever arm 32. The lower end of lever arm 27 is provided with a yoke 34 which slidably embraces a transverse rod 35 and thereby tends to maintain the arm 28 substantially horizontal. The forward end of arm 28 is provided with a bifurcated bearing 36 which slidably engages the stud 37 and. thereby supports the movable frame from sagging in its guide links 6 and 10. Means for adjusting the arm 21 for varying the throw of the ribbon vibrator, are provided as follows: An arm or pin 38 secured at one end within the disk 22 is adapted to oscillate lengthwise of a slot 39 in the upper end of a lever arm 40 which projects from a boss or enlargement 41 carried by a rod 42 which is reciprocably supported by the bracket arms 2. The rod-42' is provided with an upwardly deflected portion 43 with a forwardly bent extremity 44 which is 'pivotally socketed in a flat arm 45 which is eyed to an oscillatory rod 46. The forward end of rod 46 is formed into a crank 47 which is releasably held in any one of a number of positions corresponding to printing zones of the ribbon or to the stenciling position of said ribbon, by means of notches in a rotary keeper 48. Ribbon shift movements are imparted to the rocker or cradle by the followlng'universally actuated mechanism, reference being had more especially to Figs. 1 and 6. The cross bar 24 of said cradle or rocker is provided with a downwardly deflected flange against which presses the cam-like head or plate 49 of the lever arm 50 carried by a rec'iprocatory strap or rod 51 which has its forward end connected at 52 to a radial arm 53 on an oscillatory bar 54. The outer end of oscillatory bar 54 carries a crank arm 55 which is connected by a link 56 to a universal bar which is adapted to be actuated by the operation of a spacing bar 58 or by any key lever 59. It will be understood therefore that at each operation of the universal bar 57, the cradle or rocker will be oscillated and the ribbon vibrated in amounts corresponding to the setting of the adjustable arm 21. As shown best in Fig. 6, the' cradle or rocker carries a stop arm 60 provided on its rear end with suitable pads 61 which strike against the stops 62 and 63 at the opposite extremes of movement of the rocker or cradle. Referring now to Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11, the movable frame 4 has secured thereto by means of screws 64, a shield or plate 65 above which is a line finder 66 connected thereto by integral strips 67. Surmounting the line finder and arranged to one side of the U-shaped opening 68 which accommodates the type bars, is a triangular guard or finger 69 which presses against the paper on the platen, so that no matter how many thicknesses of paper there may be on the platen, the line finder and hence the ribbon is held a predetermined distance from the surface on which the type bars print. Contributory to this result is a protuberance 70 formed in the line finder along the opposite edge of the type bar opening 68, said protuberance being preferably formed by making a depression in the front face of the line finder. At each end the line finder is provided with forwardly deflected corners, as shown in Fig. 9, the upper edges being inclined downwardly as shown in Fig. 8. By means of this construction, the paper fingers 71 (only one being shown) which are adjustable on the main frame. are,prevented from becoming snagged on the outer corners of the line finder. The'operations of the parts have been made clear in the descripti'on.

I claim 1. In atypewriter, a main frame, a ribbon vibrator reciprocable on said main frame, an oscillatory frame jou'rnaled on an axis fixed with respect to said main frame, a lever movable aboutan axis on said oscillatory frame and slidably engaging said ribbon vibrator, and means for adjusting said lever to vary its point of contact with said ribbon vibrator with respect to the distance of said point of contact from the axis of said oscillato frame.

2. n a typewriter, a main frame. a ribbon vibrator reciprocable on said main frame, an

oscillatory frame journaled on an axis fixed with respect to said main frame, a lever movable about an axis on said oscillatoryframe and slidably engaging said ribbon vibrator, means for adjusting said lever to vary its point of contactwith said ribbon vibrator with respect to the distance of said point of contact from the axis of said oscillatory frame, and case-shifting means operatably connected to said oscillatory frame.

3. In a typewriter, the combination with a main frame, a platen reciprocable on said main frame, a ribbon vibrator, an oscillatable frame, a bell. crank lever pivotally mounted on said oscillatable frame, one arm of said bell crank lever having slidable engagement with. said ribbon vibrator, means operatably engaging the other arm of said bell crank for slidably adjusting the point of engagement'between the first mentioned arm and said ribbon vibrator with respect to the axis of oscillation of said oscillatable frame, and means for oscillating said oscillatable frame.

4. In a typewriter, the combination with a platen, of a frame oscillatable about an axis, a ribbon vibrator provided with an arm extending toward the axis of said oscillatable frame, a lever arm pivotally mounted on said frame and slidably engaging the .vibrator arm, and means for adjusting said pivotally mounted lever arm to adjust the point of engagement between it and the vibrator lever arm.

5. In a ty ewriter, a main frame, a reciprocable plat n carriage, a case shift rail for imparting case shift movements to said carriage, a bracket secured to said main frame, an oscillatable frame journaled in said bracket and partaking of the case shift movemerits of said case shift rail, a bell crank lever journa-led on said oscillatable frame, one arm of said lever being provided with a wrist, a ribbon vibrator having a slotted arm, said wrist being disposed within said slotted arm, and means for moving the other arm of said bell crank lever for adjusting said wristalong said slotted arm.

6. In a typewriter, a fixed frame or bracket, a movable frame, links connecting said movable frame and said fixed frame or bracket, said links being adapted to retain said movable frame in substantially the plane of its movement, a platen carriage, a case shift rail for said carriage, a link for movably supporting said movable frame from said case-shift rail, the last mentioned link being provided with means for retaining it in substantial parallelism during the case shift movements, a cradle or rocker journaled in said movable frame, a ribbon vibrator reciprocable on said movable frame, means carried by said cradle or rocker for imparting a variable throw to said ribbon vibrator, and a universal for oscillatingv said cradle or rocker.

7- In a typewriter, a fixed frame or bracket, a movable frame, links connecting said movable frame and said fixed frame or bracket, said links being adapted to retain said movable frame in substantially the plane of its movement, a platen carriage, a case shift rail for said carriage, a link for movably supporting said movable frame from said case-shift rail, the last mentioned link being provided with means for retaining it in substantial parallelism during the case shift movements, a cradle or rocker journaled in said movable frame, a ribbon vibrator reciprocable on said movable frame. means carried by said cradle or rocker for imparting a variable throw to said ribbon vibrator, and a universal bar for oscillating said cradle or rocker. said variable throw means comprising a lever pivoted in said cradle or rocker, said lever being adapted to movably engage said ribbon vibrator at variable distances from the oscillatory axis of said cradle or rocker.

- 8. In a typewriter, a fixed bracket, a case shift rail for the platen carriage, a lever pivotally mounted on said case shift rail, means for holding said lever in substantially constant angular relation to said case shift rail, a frame movably supported by said lever, guide links extending between said movable frame and said fixed bracket, said guide links being adapted to maintain said movable frame in the same plane of movement, a ribbon vibrator movable on said movable frame, a cradle or rocker journaled in said movable frame, a lever arm pivotally mounted in said cradle or rocker and having variable throw engagement with said ribbon vibrator and means for oscillating said cradle or rocker.

9. In a typewriter, a platen, a ribbon vi-. brator, means for imparting a variable throw to said vibrator including a cradle or rocker movable about an axis, a lever pivotally mounted on said cradle or rocker and adapted by its adjustment to vary the throw of said vibrator, a wrist pin carried by said lever, an arm provided with a slot within which said wrist pin moves during the oscillation of said cradle or rocker, and means for moving said arm for adjusting said lever.

10. In a typewriter, a platen, a ribbon vibrator, means for imparting a variable throw to said vibrator including a cradle or rocker movable about an axis, a lever pivotally mounted on said cradle or rocker and adapted by its adjustment to vary "the throw of said vibrator, a wrist pin carried by said lever, an arm provided with a slot within which said wrist pin moves during the oscillation of said cradle or rocker, and means for moving said arm for adjusting said lever, said arm-moving means comprising a reciprocatory rodi an adjustable lever arm at the front of sai typewriter, and means operatably connecting said adjustable lever arm to riage, a movable frame partaking of the case shift movements of said carriage, said frame being provided with spaced stops a ribbon vibrator movably connected to said frame, 10

and a cradle or rocker oscillatable in said movable frame and movably engaging said vibrator, said c'radle or rocker being provided with a stop arm which is moved into alternate engagement with said stops on the 15 movable frame.

. JOHN A. HAGERSTROM 

